Jerk Chicken Pasta

We no longer have a Bahama Breeze in town but I really liked this one dish they made so I had to figure it out for myself. It’s a beautiful fusion of Italian and Caribbean flavors. Sliced jerk chicken breast, fresh asparagus and mushrooms tossed with a white sauce and farfalle pasta. I did take some liberties with the ingredients but I think it came out pretty good. Downside…it’s a bit labor intensive due to the different cooking techniques for the ingredients. I think it pays off when everything is combined at the end to make an amazing single dish dinner.

The trick to speeding this up is to start the pasta right before the chicken is done. For my stove and grill (yours may differ) I put the chicken on and then turn on the pasta water to get it boiling. By the time my chicken is done i’m starting the pasta and melting the butter for the vegetables.

Ingredients

1 boneless skinless chicken breast cutlet about 1/2 pound

1 teaspoon Busha Browne's Jerk seasoning

¼ cup butter, divided

1 garlic clove, crushed

½ cup half-and-half

½ cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon cornstarch

½ teaspoon italian herb blend

4 stalks asparagus

2 baby portabello mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper, to taste

8 ounces bow-tie pasta, half of a 1 pound box

Directions

Step 1

Marinade the chicken breast in a resealable plastic bag with the jerk seasoning for at least an hour or overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 2

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator for 20 minutes to bring to room temp. Preheat the grill to high. Once grill is hot cook the chicken, turning occasionally, until it reaches an internal temperature of 170°-180° and juices run clear. Turn off grill and remove the chicken to a plate. Tent the chicken with foil.

Step 3

In boiling salted water, cook pasta to package directions until al dente. Drain and keep warm. While pasta is cooking heat another large saucepan to high and add 1 Tablespoon of butter. When butter is melted add the asparagus and mushrooms and saute until tender and the asparagus is bright green, 5-10 minutes. Remove the vegetables to a bowl.

Step 4

To make the white sauce add the remaining butter. Once melted, add the garlic and give it a stir. Add the corn starch and slowly add the chicken broth whisking constantly to keep from getting lumps. Next add the half and half stirring until incorporated. Put the vegetables in with the pasta and then toss the sauce with the the pasta starting with about half of it and adding a little at a time till the pasta is coated but not drowned in it. You may have extra sauce. Plate the noodles and vegetables, slice the chicken breast and place on top. Serve with grated Parmesan.